Baby Boomers versus Millennials:
A
Comparison Between Two Generations
Interview
with Tommaso Sibilia
by
Maria Teresa De Donato
Fine,
I must admit it: I am a lover of ‘printed’ material. I was born in the early
1960s, in a world very different from the one I am living in today. I was
surrounded by tall trees thus including beautiful mimosas and in Rome I lived
not far from an immense green meadow that, from the then elementary and middle
schools, used to lead first to a farm and then to the Don Bosco district,
famous for its homonymous cathedral characterized by its large and unmistakable
white dome.
In the last 30-35 years many of those apartment complexes have been built in that area so much so that the dome is no longer visible and the farm itself has been completely 'swallowed up' by the surrounding buildings, hence, unless one knows of its existence, it is impossible to find it.
However, not only the landscape has changed, but also our lifestyle, with its increasingly frenetic rhythms and characterized by a technology which it is not only difficult to keep up with, but that very often has alienated us, making us grow apart from each other, through an increased sense of isolation and mistrust towards each other.
On top of that a total decay, which embraces all areas of our daily life, has plunged all of us into a great poverty, when not necessarily materially or financially, even though sometimes that might also be the case, at least culturally, spiritually, and morally.
Hence, while we Baby Boomers meditate on the way and the extent our society around us has changed, a new generation, that of the Millennials, makes its debut into the world.
It is a world made of girls and boys born in the new millennium, often with high school diplomas and university degrees, sometimes with graduate degrees and specializations. Many look around lost in a world that seems to have forgotten and even abandoned them. They seek their way; they wonder what to do and how and where to find 'a job' ... in a society in which the school and even the university have neither led the foundations nor have clearly stated possible career opportunities or paved the way for them to enter the workforce.
Despite misinformation and often confused ideas on what to do next, they have an enormous potential, great skills along with much energy. They are just searching for an opportunity to show what they are truly worth, hoping that a door will be opened to them ...
Many of these young people, Italians, but also of other nationalities, have contacted me over the years due to my Coaching activity as well as my experience as an Italian who emigrated to the USA.
They
asked me questions, they tried to understand what to do, which way to go, which
direction to take, regardless the choice they would end up making. I tried to
help them, to direct them or at least to make suggestions based on their
specific personal characteristics, needs, skills and individual abilities.
My heart goes to them, however, because this sense of bewilderment, this feeling of not being ready for the real life once completed high school and often also academic studies, having to deal with the lack of work, it is something I also experienced a long time ago, as well as many of my generation did. In those days, however, there were no internet, no socials, no online platforms to access and get all sorts of information as there are now. Yet, despite all the progress that has been made and all the high technology we have achieved ... even today's kids continue to feel unprepared to face the real life and the world of work.
Simply stated: everything has changed… and at the same time nothing has.
Just recently I came across, right on socials, another very young and equally smart young boy who is also looking for 'his own way', 'his place in the world' whom I am proud to introduce to you today.
His name is Tommaso Sibilia.
MTDD: Hi Tommaso and welcome to my Blog and Virtual Cultural Salon. It is a pleasure to have you as my guest.
TS: The pleasure is all mine, thank you for giving me this space on your blog and I hope my story will interest our readers and improve their lives. I think that each of us can teach something new to somebody else.
MTDD: Tommaso, why don't you start introducing yourself to our readers by explaining who you are, what you do in life, the studies you have completed, those ongoing or even future ones, work, or any other activity you keep yourself busy with, and whatever else you wish to share with our readers?
TS: Sure, I was born in Milan, but at the age of four I moved to Trentino-Alto Adige where my passion for the mountains and especially for the snow was born. Then I moved again, this time to Vicenza. So while changing city (or town) it was very difficult to settle in and make new friends, perhaps also because I'm very shy. This "being alone" (even though my family has always supported and encouraged me in everything) brought me closer to the world of books. This passion was also born thanks to my mother who is a high school literature teacher. I currently study at a scientific high school of applied sciences that is focused on laboratory science subjects. I would like to graduate in aerospace engineering in Milan and then go to work at NASA or SpaceX.
MTDD: That’s amazing! You started your own blog – Time Break o L’angolo dei lettori (Time Break or Readers' Corner) which, among other things, hosted our recent interview - and your own Youtube channel.
Why was it important for you to do this and what goals do you wish to achieve through them?
TS: Indeed, I recently
started a book blog where I interview male and female writers, review the books
I liked the most and publish my personal reflections. This path I have taken
has certainly helped me to start learning and knowing new stories. I have
learned that by listening to others you learn much more than what is written in
books and for this reason I created my blog. The message I want to convey is
just that, I would like to open other people’s minds and let my readers learn
as much as possible.
MTTD: I watched your video Una lezione molto IMPORTANTE! Come GUADAGNARE veramente (A very IMPORTANT lesson! How to truly MAKE MONEY) and I greatly appreciated it for your eloquence, for your enthusiasm, but also and above all because in it I perceived to be also your desire to inform and at the same time help your peers, and not only them to find their way.
What motivated you to take such an initiative?
TS: I try to share my
knowledge, whatever I know, with others so that they too can learn from me as
well as I from them. What I like to do is to talk because in my opinion, as I
have already mentioned, this is the best way to learn. It is precisely for this
reason that I always look for an exchange of information and opinions with
readers or subscribers.
MTDD: Do you think that the school and the studies you have pursued so far have really prepared you for the world of work and for Life in general or do you find that there are gaps in this sense, pieces that are missing between theoretical preparation and culture in general and what the world of work and real life require to be ready and, consequently, successful?
TS: The school is
ineffective in this respect. It is impressive because you learn everything and even
more, but not how to approach the world of work and this is nonsense!
Fortunately, I have a teacher who has also paved the way to this knowledge, my
literature teacher. She is taking us on a journey to learn how to write resumes
and she has also enrolled us in a financial education project which is very
interesting. However, I think I know enough about this because my father works
as a consultant in the human resources sector, he also deals with the selection
and the research of personnel and teaches me a lot every day.
MTDD: I see that you are a smart guy, sunny, full of energy.
What are your plans for the future? What do you expect and what would you like to achieve?
TS: I have many plans for the future. I just opened a Time Break podcast that can be listened to on all major platforms. And you will discover the others in time as long as you follow me on socials and blogs ...
MTDD: What further advice
would you like to give to young people and to all those who feel lost,
discouraged, frustrated, disappointed and are, therefore, also very concerned
about the high rate of unemployment and of the precarious work which
unfortunately in a country such as Italy has always seemed to be the 'common denominator'
of all generations?
TS: Read, listen, and always learn something new every day. Acquire new skills and above all be flexible in your work.
MTDD: Having a positive and constructive attitude such as yours is essential to be successful in any area of life. Your Youtube video Ricomincia da te! Distruggi i tuoi limiti! (Reset your thinking! Overcome your limits!) focuses on some fundamental points to advance in personal growth and reach greater awareness of who we are and where we want to go, what we want to achieve. A first point consists in challenging oneself and one's own limits, which are often only mental barriers that we create for ourselves and that make us see problems that in reality do not exist; a second point consists in taking action, starting to put our life in order. The order we place, even in the sense of making our bed, tidying up and cleaning our room ... is actually a TRAINING that helps us visualize and train our subconscious and, if we grasp its intrinsic meaning, we understand that it is a metaphor for putting order in every aspect of our life. Your video is well focused on these aspects and extremely effective. I congratulate you.
TS: Thank you very much, you made an excellent point.
MTDD: You're welcome. It is a pleasure. In the hope of helping other young and not so young people who might read our article, can you explain how you personally keep yourself motivated? What do you say to yourself? (= Inner dialogue)
TS: I am motivated by nature; I was born like this and I always give my best! The advice I can give to others to be motivated is to follow your dreams and reach your goals because if you do something you don't like you will never be motivated and you will never reach your goals.
MTDD: Thank you Tommaso for participating in this interview. I wish you all the best for the future, whatever choices you might make.
As for those who wish to get in touch with you, How can they do so besides following you on Youtube and possibly on your Blog?
TS: I thank you for the space you have dedicated to me and hope that the readers will enjoy my story and find it interesting and entertaining. I wish to remind everyone that they can keep up with me by visiting my blog timesbreaks.blogspot.com or listening to my podcasts on major apps or on YouTube!
Thank
you very much, I wish everyone all the best!
